MORE NEW ACe UNITS: 20 more of the new SD70ACe units, 5806-5825, have been delivered throughout the month of February

LEASE RETURNS: 20 lease engines have been returned to their lessor. These units are four remaining NREX SD60s and all of the LTEX C40-8s. These units have been returned due to the new SD70ACe units coming online.

SERIOUS DERAILMENT ON THE PITTSBURGH SUB: On February 25th, 2018, a serious derailment occurred near Big Beaver, Pennsylvania, along the KCC&E Pittsburgh Subdivision. No locomotives were involved, but 32 freight cars derailed, some of which spilled hazmat onto the ground. A brief fire started as a result but was put out in less than an hour. Thankfully, nobody was injured or killed.

RETIREMENT RUMORS: There are rumors swirling around that the KCC&E is looking to retire their aging fleet of C36-7u locomotives. I will bring you an update if these rumors are true.

SEVERE DERAILMENT: On June 29, 2018, a severe derailment took place near Columbus, Ohio. No locomotives were involved, but a grand total of 42 cars derailed, many carrying hazardous materials. The area within 5 miles of the derailment site was ordered to shelter-in-place until everything was safe.

C36-7u FLEET'S FATE: The KCC&E retired its entire fleet of C36-7u locomotives in September. Most of the units have been sold to several companies for scrapping and recycling, including Larry's Truck and Electric (LTEX). However, 10 units are left on the property for sale. These units are 6409, 6411, 6417, 6432, 6433-6435, 6444, 6448, and 6450.

NEW LOCOMOTIVES: The KCC&E has placed an order for 30 new General Electric Evolution Series locomotives. These engines are Tier 4-compliant ET44AC locomotives and will be numbered 1120-1149. These engines are slated for delivery in 2019.

FOREIGN POWER: Lots of foreign power has been showing up on KCC&E property lately, so the railway has begun curbing the amount of foreign power that is used on trains. For example, no BNSF or UP power is allowed east of Cleveland Yard in Ohio. That power is required to be sent back west on a Cleveland-to-Chicago train. This has put a damper on the enjoyment for many eastern railfans.

PRECISION RAILROADING: There are rumors swirling around that the KCC&E will begin transitioning slowly to the precision scheduled railroading model in the future. If these rumors prove to be true, an update will be posted immediately.

PRECISION RAILROADING RUMORS PROVEN FALSE: There were some rumors floating around that the KCC&E would begin using the precision scheduled railroading model in the future. Turns out these rumors were started by crew members. The executives at the railway currently have no plans to switch railroading models.

LEASERS ARE BACK: The KCC&E has found themselves short on motive power again, with the C36-7u fleet retirement being the main culprit for this, along with new intermodal and manifest traffic gained from CSX and NS. As a result, the railway has leased 50 locomotives short-term until the railway receives their new ET44ACs that are on order for 2019. All of these locomotives were previously on lease to Norfolk Southern. They were returned by NS due to the railroad beginning the transition to the precision scheduled railroading model. All locomotives have arrived on property and are currently working on trains. Here is a list of the locomotives that are on lease to the KCC&E:- FEC SD70M-2's: 104, 105, 106, 107- GECX C40-8's: 7524, 7533, 7544, 7560, 7569, 7586, 7629, 7637, 7640, 7642- GECX C40-8W's: 7301, 7357, 7372, 7376, 7382, 7394, 7660, 7675, 7680, 7712, 7715, 7726, 7743, 7748, 7749, 7753, 7755, 7756, 7758, 7768, 7874, 7900- GECX C40-9W: 9049- GMTX SD60's: 9014, 9059- PRLX CW46AC's: 604, 619, 626, 636, 658, 664, 680, 5004, 5005- PRLX SD70ACe's: 4834, 4848

NEW ET44AC LOCOMOTIVES: The expected timeframe for when the new KCC&E ET44ACs will be delivered has been confirmed. Delivery of these locomotives is slated for early to mid-February.

WINTER STORMS: The recent winter storm this past weekend caused a few service disruptions along the KCC&E system. These disruptions did not last long. However, future storms this coming Thursday and Saturday may cause disruptions. Saturday's storm is expected to be severe in nature, with blizzard conditions possible in some locations.

CHICAGO REPORT: The KCC&E has the following locomotives in for various work as of January 15, 2019:ET44AC 1001: Periodic maintenanceSD40-2 2238: Crankshaft failure, repairs underwaySD70M 4093: Engine repairsSD70M 4114: Repairs for damaged plow after a collision with a minivan near Kingsford Heights, Indiana.SD90MAC 5700: Periodic maintenanceC40-8u 6577: Periodic maintenance

The following units were sitting at the fuel racks in Chicago as of 2:30 PM CT on January 15:MP15DCs 1570 and 1571SD40-3 2047SD40-2s 2111 and 2197SD70M 4017ES44DC 4682SD70ACe 5449C44-9Ws 6683, 6809, and 6888BNSF ES44DC 7387CP AC4400CWM 8009PRLX SD70ACe 4834- There were several more, but they were obscured by other locomotives.

HELPER ASSIGNMENTS: The KCC&E has assigned a group of ES44ACs to helper service along the steep grades in West Virginia. These ES44ACs are 518, 547, 600, 638, 654, 681, 690, 701, 702, 722, 729, and 748. As well, four SD70ACes have been assigned to helper service in the same area: 5339, 5381, 5444, and 5449.

REMAINING C36-7u UNITS TO BE SCRAPPED: The C36-7u locomotives that were still on the property have been sold to K&K Recycling, who specializes in recycling scrap metal. In other words, the units will be scrapped. The units destined for the scrapyard are 6409, 6411, 6417, 6432, 6433-6435, 6444, 6448, and 6450.

KCC&E 1776 TO LEAD OCS: The American Independence Unit, KCC&E SD70ACe-T4 1776, will be leading an office car special out of Atlanta on January 25th to Chicago. Tier 4 Credit SD70ACe 5825 will be the trailing unit. Both units have been touched up in the Atlanta Shops for the occasion.

After almost three months of absence, I'm back with an update to my paper railroad.

ET44AC ARRIVAL: The 30 ET44ACs that the KCC&E placed an order for arrived between late-February and early-April. These units are numbered 1120-1149 and are in general service around.

LEASERS RETURNED: All but two of the short-term lease engines have been returned following the arrival of the final ET44ACs in the KCC&E's order. The two lease engines remaining on the property are GECX C40-8 7524 and C40-8W 7712, both of which are presently stored at Indianapolis, awaiting a trip to LTEX.

ENGINE STORAGE: Some issues have been found in the SD70ACe-T4s so these engines are making their way into storage until Progress Rail has a fix for these issues. Union Pacific has done the same thing with their SD70AH-T4s for similar reasons. About 41 KCC&E SD70ACe-T4s are currently in storage and counting, including KCC&E 1776. However, 1776 has been put on temporary display at the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East, Pennsylvania, and is not in the storage lines with the other units. This is because the unit wears a special paint scheme.

TRAIN vs. TRUCK: On March 15, 2019, KCC&E Q-CIAT hit a semi truck in Marietta, Georgia. The truck driver miraculously survived the incident unscathed, as the train hit the trailer of the truck. The lead unit on Q-CIAT, KCC&E ES44AC 647, suffered from minor damage and was sent to Atlanta for repairs.

LOCOMOTIVE STORAGE: The KCC&E has placed six more SD70ACe-T4s in storage at Chicago: 5603, 5616, 5623, 5624, 5672, and 5696. This puts the current total in storage at 56.

SD40-2 MAYHEM: Along the Chicago Subdivision in Goshen, Indiana, on Saturday, April 27th, four SD40-2 leaders were seen on four different trains. These SD40-2s can still be found leading mainline freights every now and then, but seeing four of them leading on the same day is rare. The units leading were:- 2136 leading M-CIEK (Chicago-Elkhart manifest)- 2140 leading Q-CIPI (Chicago-Pittsburgh high-priority manifest)- 2193 leading Q-CICV (Chicago-Cleveland high-priority manifest)- 2225 leading I-CHDE (Chicago-Detroit intermodal)

MINOR DERAILMENT: On the morning of Friday, April 26th, KCC&E Q-ATBI derailed on the Atlanta Subdivision near Douglasville, Georgia. Only three cars derailed, the 56th, 57th, and 58th cars. No injuries, fatalities, or destruction of property (other than the railroad's own property) were reported, so this was a very minor derailment. However, the line was shut down for the rest of the day as cleanup took place and repairs to the line were made.

KCC&E INTERESTED IN SEVERAL KCS SD70MACs: The Kansas City Southern has recently put their SD70MAC fleet, including the two remaining TFM units and two SD70MACe conversions, up for auction at Belleville, Illinois, on June 26th. The KCC&E has expressed interest in participating in the auction and plans to place bids for 25 of the MACs up for auction. The KCC&E is planning to have these 25 units, along with their own 100 units, rebuilt with ECO prime movers, brand new electronics, and new trucks found on the Tier 3-compliant SD70ACes. If they do not get all of the MACs, but some, they will rebuild those units and their 100 units they already own. If they do not get any, they will just rebuild the 100 SD70MACs they already have. We must wait and see what happens.

SD70ACe-T4s GETTING FIXED UP: Progress Rail has begun the process of fixing the known issues with the SD70ACe-T4 fleet. They are slowly, but surely, fixing up the units and putting them back in service.

For unit trains, the KCC&E will be adding a letter at the end of the symbol to simplify things:E- EthanolG- GypsumI- Iron OreL- LimestoneO - Crude OilP - Phosphate/Potash or PipeS - Steel or SulfurW - Windmill

STORAGE UPDATE: 12 more engines were placed in storage, but the KCC&E will not be putting anymore engines in storage unless it is "absolutely necessary". Eight of them are SD50ds and the other four are SD70ACe-T4s going in for fixes at Progress Rail.

PHILADELPHIA REFINERY CLOSURE: The Philadelphia Energy Solutions Oil Refinery exploded over a week ago, and has been shut down indefinitely. The KCC&E, along with CSX and BNSF, have been affected by this, and have abolished all train symbols going to and from the refinery. The KCC&E's U-C1PHO (Cicero BNSF, IL - Philadelphia, PA oil loads) and U-PHC1O (Philadelphia, PA - Cicero BNSF, IL oil empties) trains will no longer be running, effective July 1st.

OTHER ABOLISHMENTS: Other KCC&E trains have been abolished. The Z-CHME and Z-MECH trains going to and from Chicago and Memphis have been abolished. All of that traffic will be put on Z-CHMO and Z-MOCH trains going to and from Chicago and Mobile. The Memphis traffic will be set off at the Memphis terminal, with the train continuing on to Chicago/Mobile from there.

DERAILMENT IN VIRGINIA: KCC&E coal train C-SOCF (Shire Oaks, PA - Chesterfield Power Station, VA) derailed just five miles north of Richmond, VA today at 11:16 AM. A total of 7 cars derailed, along with both locomotives powering the train, SD70MAC 2 and ES44AC 996. Thankfully, the crew suffered from only minor injuries, and were not seriously hurt or killed. All but one of the derailed cars spilled coal onto the ground. Cleanup is underway.

KCS AUCTION RESULTS: The results have finally come in from the KCS locomotive auction that took place on June 26th. Unfortunately, Progress Rail outbid the KCC&E and purchased the 25 SD70MACs the KCC&E was going to get. So, the KCC&E will be rebuilding the 100 SD70MACs they already have.

BNSF AND KCC&E REPAYING HPH TO EACH OTHER: The BNSF Railway is sending 25 locomotives to the KCC&E for horsepower-hour repayment. All locomotives are AC4400CWs in the 5700 Series. In turn, the KCC&E has sent 25 of their own locomotives to the BNSF to repay horsepower-hours they owe them. These locomotives are:

RETIREMENTS: Ten SD50u locomotives in the 3400 series, 3400-3409, have been sold to K&K Recycling for scrapping. As well, bad-ordered SD40-2 2117 has been retired due to an engine failure that was deemed "unrepairable". 2117 has also been sold to K&K Recycling for scrapping.

SD45-2s OUT OF WORK TRAIN SERVICE: The SD45-2 fleet has been released from work/ballast train service and will be put in service on regular freight trains. 6005 and 6011 have already been seen on a mainline freight, leading SD70M 4244 and ET44AC 1127 on the M-CIPA (Chicago-to-Peoria manifest). The ET44AC was dead-in-tow.

OFFENSIVE GRAFFITI: Some offensive graffiti was found on the fuel tanks of SD50d 3490 and ET44AC 1016 at Springfield Yard in Illinois. It is unknown how the individuals responsible got into the yard, as there is very tight security. The KCC&E will be sending the unit to Chicago to promptly repaint the fuel tank and get rid of the graffiti.